Like, Love, Hate
by Vanishing Roses
Summary: Sequel to "The Mountain Inn". Horo finally manages to get Ren to go out on what can only be considered a "date", but strange things start happening and things go down hill quickly. Horo/Ren.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is a sequel to "The Mountain Inn". It is much darker than that one, so keep that in mind. I am uploading all of the chapters of this fic all at once so there is no wait and no blackmailing for comments. You're welcome.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

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_** CHAPTER ONE **_

Horo hummed a little to himself. Standing in front of the store racks, he flipped through the CDs. Horrible. Horrible. Oh, he did like that one song she did for the movie about that ship that sank.

"Is there anything I can help you find, sir?" A girl with multi-colored highlights in her hair and a piercing in her eyebrow had come towards him while he was looking at music. Looking up, Horo returned the smile that the salesgirl was giving him.

"Nope! Just looking. Though, be honest: I don't even have a CD player quite yet anyway. I've got some tapes though," Horo said with a chuckle, every the one to find small talk easy.

The girl looked at him with wide eyes. "Wow! Are you serious? Have you been, I don't know, living under a rock or something? Tape decks haven't been in style in a real long time."

Horo just snickered as he rubbed the back of his head. "Man, it must seem like that, huh? When I got my tape player as a kid, it was already a little old. I guess I could have just waited for something better, but I figured it would take a while at least before something replaced it. But then, next thing I know, almost as soon as I get comfortable getting tapes these 'compact disks' are the next big thing, apparently. I'm a teenager, sure, but I feel really behind the times."

"No kidding," the girl said with an understanding nod before adding, " and it's only just recently gotten worse. To be blunt, even CDs aren't as popular as they used to be. In fact, I wager for the most part they're on their way out, too. This is what will probably be replacing them in a few years," she said, handing Horo was looked to be one of the gift cards the store would sell, though this one had a different company name labeled on it.

Horo looked at it in confusion, not entirely sure what one was supposed to do with it. "What exactly is this? Does it have music in it or something? Don't tell me the next big thing is a scanner that can read these things? It kind of looks like a credit card."

"That's very close. See, it's a gift card, but not for the store. It's for this website here. If you got to this website, you can download whatever song you want for practically nothing. It's much cheaper than buying a whole CD full of songs you might not even like. It's probably a lot cheaper than even tapes I would think. Because you'd only be paying to download the songs you like, you'll be able to buy a lot more songs."

Horo thought about it and his face lit up. "Really? Things really have changed! That sounds really cool. How do I get my tape deck to do this 'download'? I don't think my brand has a download button. Then again, it is a little on the old side. Will a CD player I buy have a 'download' button?" Horo asked, cocking his head a bit. The CD players he had seen in the store were much sleeker and modern looking than his old tape player, so he just figured that they would be able "download" music, even though he was not exactly sure what that meant.

The girl just laughed for a moment, thinking that the blue-haired teen was joking. Then, she realized he was be very honest. Her laughing died down as she gave him a weak smile. " By download I meant, you know…at a computer?"

Instead of being embarrassed or upset, Horo just laughed after a moment of silence. "I definitely don't have something like a computer. Those things cost an arm and a leg and I need to be able to travel light. I have to tell you, this new way of getting music is pretty confusing, even if it is supposed to be cheaper," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he nodded knowingly, "I suppose there isn't much need for a new music system when there isn't anything wrong with my tape player."

The salesgirl nodded in agreement, as a fellow music lover not as a store representative. "A lot of hard-core music junkies swear by the older technology anyway. They say the digital sound is too processed for them to enjoy. I get where it is they're coming from. Whenever I hear music on tape, it definitely gives me a nostalgic feeling, so I don't see a problem in you not wanting to switch with the times. As long as you're happy, right?"

Horo smiled, nodding his head. "That's true. My tapes do remind me a little bit of home. It might even be because they sound old and grainy and just despite that," he said before looking over to the side at the store clock, sighing. "But you know, I would be even happier if the person I'm waiting for would hurry and show. We were supposed to meet up almost fifteen minutes ago…"

"Oh man, that's not good. By the way you're dressed up… is it a date or something? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," she asked curiously. The store was a little slow anyway, so it was not as if she had much better to do.

" Actually, these are just my normal clothes. I'm from up north so I guess my clothes aren't exactly all the rage down here. And, well, it isn't really much of a date, though I did have to beg and plead to get him to agree to meet me."

"Oh, it's a guy? So, an estranged friend or something? We all get those when we grow older. You should make sure not to loose him now that you've got him!" She encouraged.

Horo threw her a grin. She had no idea just how much to heart he intended to take her words. "Believe me, I don't intend to let him go anyway," he said. A moment later, hearing the familiar bell ring as the door to the CD shop were opened, Horo turned around to see who had just entered. "Speak of the devil," he muttered as he said a good-bye to the salesgirl, walking towards the front of the store, hands in his pocket.

"So, finally decided to show up, huh, Ren? What took you so long? Actually, better question, why are you dressed up like that? I know it's a little chilly outside, but you can't possibly be that sensitive to the cold," he said, trying hard not to laugh.

Indeed, Ren looked more like he was dressed for the cold of Hokkaido instead of the pleasant chill of the city. He had on a hat pulled down low, a scarf that covered up half his face, a thick jacket , gloves and boots. If it were not for his golden eyes glaring out at him, even Horo would not have been able to recognize him.

"Shut up. Let's go," Ren just snapped as he turned to walk out without another word. Horo waved goodbye to the salesgirl once more before slipping his own scarf around his neck and following after Ren He called out for Ren to slow down as he jugged to catch up to him. Even though Ren was being curt, Horo could tell he was not really angry from the look in his eyes. Had they been alone in that store, he doubted that Ren could have been so abrupt. Then again, had they been in the store alone, Horo doubted that he would have given Ren the chance to say anything. That was a thought that make Horo grin inwardly.

Putting that idea out of his mind, he caught up to Ren. "So, are you going to answer my question? Why are you dressed like that? Do you have a cold or something?" He asked, genuinely worried as he reached out for Ren's hand. Ren moved his hand away when he felt Horo's touch.

Ren just shrugged his shoulders, the jacket just barely moving around his slender frame. He was looking away, looking embarrassed. "I just don't want people to see us together and get the wrong idea."

"If it's true, I don't think it can be considered a 'wrong idea', Ren. At that point I think you call a 'good idea'. This is a date," Horo said, in a tone that left no room for argument.

"This is not a date!" Ren interjected, the scarf falling down a bit, revealing pink cheeks. It was probably from the cold, but Horo told himself it was a blush. After a moment, Ren composed himself as he huffed, looking away, jamming his gloved hands into his pockets. "You're such an idiot. I tell you repeatedly this is not a date, but you keep calling it that. I can't tell which one of us more crazy. You for thinking this little meeting is a date or me for actually agreeing to meet up with you at all."

Horo's hands trembled as he restrained the huge to just give Ren a hug. Whenever he got all worked up, he couldn't help but imagine Ren as a little tiger on a rampage. He would never tell anyone about that little guilty pleasure.

"Well, look at it this way, Ren: if we're both crazy, then we make an even better match than we already do!"

Ren just looked up at him incredulously. "You really are an idiot," he murmured as he pulled the scarf up, covering most of his face. His insult seemed half-hearted at best. They walked in silence for quite some time, walking away from the busy parts of the city towards the park. The plan had been originally to meet up for something to eat, an activity Horo liked to do regardless of the situation. Despite the unannounced change of plans, Horo did not bother to remind Ren of the unofficial itinerary. On dates, he was told, it was better to let things progress naturally. Even though he would never admit to it, for the time being, he would let Ren take the lead.

There was a silence between them, but it was comfortable. Reaching out, Horo attempted once more to take Ren's hand. This time, Ren did not pull away. Hand-in-hand, they walked through the deserted park, only the sound of wind filling the night air. Ren squeezed Horo's hand as he moved to walk closer to him. Both of their hearts raced.

It was only when they onto the old wooden bridge over the lake did Ren picked up speed, his hand pulling away from Horo. Quickly walking, he got a few meters ahead before he stopped, his fists clenched to his side. Despite the difference, Horo could see his fists were trembling. "I don't understand you at all," he mumbled out from behind his scarf. His back was to Horo, shoulders raised defensively.

Horo stopped in his tracks as he looked at Ren, a little taken aback. "What was that?" he asked slowly, able to sense that something was upsetting Ren. He hoped he had not done something to upset him.

Ren suddenly spun around, looking so angry his whole body seemed to be lightly trembling. "I said: I don't understand you at all, you damned idiot!" This time he was screaming, his whole face screwed up in anger.

The blue-haired youth was pretty sure that Ren had elaborated his words the second time around, but knew better than to say so, not when Ren looked so upset. "What about me do you not understand? Aren't you the one always telling me I'm simple?" Horo tried to reason with him, walking towards him slowly, hands reaching out for Ren. He wanted to know what he had done to set Ren off so badly. He had thought things were going well between them.

Clenching his jaw, Ren walked over to the side of the bridge, leaning against the wooden railing. The old wood swayed slightly under his hands. "What I don't understand is all of this. Ever since what happened at that inn. Ever since we got back, you've been calling me several times a day, trying to ask me out on a stupid date all because you're too stupid to understand when you're being ignored. And then…and then when I finally agree to meet up with you on this ridiculous farce, you don't even seem to care enough to stop chatting up total strangers!"

Horo was taken aback, Ren's words sending his mind reeling. Was Ren finally admitting that they were on a date? No, better yet, was he admitting to actually being jealous? Walking towards him, Horo shook his head. "Ren, you've got it all wrong. It wasn't as if I was flirting with her. We were just talking about music, that's all. I was waiting for you and she just asked me if I needed help. Honest, Ren, I wasn't doing anything stupid like flirting. But, to be honest," he muttered, scratching his cheek a bit as he looked away, "It makes me a little happy to think you were jealous."

Ren was silent for several moments, face unreadable, one gloved hand coming up to cover his mouth, fingers practically digging into his skin. Inside his mind, he was berating himself. Why had he suddenly said so much? Did he have no verbal filter? Sure, he had been a little irked when he had seen Horo smiling and chatting so openly with that salesgirl, but he had rationalized away that budding jealousy. She was just probably selling that idiot something. It was just common practice. Even if Ren was the type to be jealous, which he wasn't, there was nothing for him to be jealous over. He was a rational person.

There was no reason for him to be jealous, he knew that, but as soon as he had stepped onto that bridge, he felt as if his heart was overflowing with emotions he did not understand. He had started saying so many embarrassing things and had been unable to stop. It scared him. More and more words kept rushing to his mouths and he found himself mumbling against his hand when he snapped out of his reverie.

The longer he tried to keep the words from coming out, the louder the pounding in his head became. He had been so busy trying to keep himself from getting sick that he had not even realized that Horo had begun to walk towards him. It was only when he felt surprisingly warm hands cup his cheek did Ren look up and really look at Horo.

Horo had been worried when he had seen the expression on Ren's face. He did not look well. It was not even the expression of anger anymore. Ren almost looked scared. "Ren, maybe we should go someplace a little warmer? I think you really might be sick," he said softly, moving his hand up to Ren's forehead.

Almost as if he had been shocked, Ren suddenly pulled away from Horo, falling back against the wooden railing of the bridge. Ren knew that he was probably yelling something, but the only sound that rang in his ear was the deafening sound of the railing giving way. The splintering of wood was drowning out anything else for Ren.

As soon as Horo had realized what was happening, he made a rush for Ren. Had they really been standing so far? Was he always so slow at running? Fingertips just lightly brushing passed each other. Horo was screaming for Ren as the golden-eyed teen fell back into the freezing darkness down below, quickly disappearing from sight as columns of water splashed up in his wake.

Without another thought, Horo jumped into the lake after him. The cold of the water was biting his skin. It was hard to think. His muscles were seizing. Scared to lose sight of Ren. Scared to lose Ren. Scared.

How Horo had managed to grab a hold of Ren's still body and drag them both to land, he had no idea. Panting loudly, he fell onto the ground, wet sand clinging to his cheek. His whole body felt so numb that he was hardly aware of the fact that his arms were still around Ren.

Ren.

He suddenly sat up, pushing Ren onto his back so he could check to make sure he was still breathing. He was sure Ren had not been in the water long enough to actually drown, but Ren had been unusually still in the lake. He could be in shock. Horo could have already been too late.

Ren was not breathing. Horo's heart sank before it steeled. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his lips against Ren's, breathing air into his lungs. One, two, three, four, breathe. One, two, three, four, breathe. Horo only stopped when Ren's eyes opened and the shorter youth began to sputter, coughing up water.

"Ren… I-" Horo did not get a chance to really say any of the thousands of things he wanted to because the feel of Ren running his fingers through his hair sent all thoughts scurrying out of his mind. By the time Ren's lips pressed against his, Horo was not able to think straight.

Both of their lips were cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

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_** CHAPTER TWO **_

Horo could not find the will to really do much of anything these days, it seemed. Everyone around him was growing worried about the normally energetic teen suddenly becoming uncharacteristically introverted. Kororo especially was worried about recent developments. It had all started two days ago, she knew.

That day had started out with such excitement for Horo. After much begging and wheedling, he had finally managed to get Ren to agree to meet up with him. Kororo did not say much about what had happened in the mountain inn months ago, but she certainly had not been blind to the change between Horohoro and Ren. What had always been a begrudged friendship had changed over the course of a week to what Kororo would describe as something warm. The change had been sudden, but pleasant.

Kororo had been scared when Horo had been brought back to the mountain inn in such terrible shape. She thought he was going to die. But Horo did not die. In fact, within a day, he was already looking much better. For the remainder of their time at the inn, Ren had skirted around Horo, alternating between getting close to him or pushing him away. He reminded Kororo of a cat curiously approaching something new before hopping away, hissing, only to repeat the whole process again. She went so far as to think it was charming, seeing Ren so out of his comfort zone.

She could not remember anyone ever mentioning if Ren had ever liked someone before so Kororo got the feeling that Ren's feelings for Horohoro were probably the first real crush he had. It was difficult, surely, for someone raised so thoroughly you be a fighter to come to terms with the softer side of human relationships. Whenever he would reject Horo's offers, she understood he needed time to realize that Horo was being sincere.

That was why she was so happy that Ren finally got over his own uncertainty and agreed to go out and see Horo in private. She hoped it meant that the two teenagers could grow closer. A relationship, even an innocent one, would be good for them both. Ren needed to now that in the world there were more than allies and enemies. Horo needed to just what it meant to have an empathetic relationship with someone.

Horo, for his own part, was beyond excited about going to meet Ren. By that night, however, Horo had returned looking upset.

It had taken almost two days of moping around and generally acting unlike himself before he opened up to even Kororo. He and Ren had gone to the park for an unplanned walk and after a bit of an argument, Ren had fallen into the water of the lake. When Horo told her that he had jumped into the water after him and that after administering CPR had received a kiss, Kororo was expecting a happily-ever-after, but that did not seem to be the case.

After the initial shock of being kissed had worn off, Horo had begun to relax into the kiss. He even put an arm around Ren's waist. He jumped away from the contact, however, when he suddenly felt Ren's hands unceremoniously run down his body, slipping past the waist band of his pants. That was so unlike Ren that it made Horo jump away from him, and the amazing kiss, in shock.

Horo had wanted to ask what had gotten into Ren, but the drenched teen had suddenly pounced on Horo before he had had the chance to say anything. Grabbing a rough hold of Horo's shirt, Ren had pushed him against the ground. Horo groaned from the pain when the back of his head unceremoniously made contact with the dirt. He did not even notice that Ren had straddled his waist until his wrists were pinned above his head. Ren smashed his lips against Horo's, almost hungrily.

A part of him wanted to just relax and enjoy Ren's uncharacteristic affection, but there was just something not right about the situation. Something in the back of his mind was screaming out that something was wrong with Ren.

Not sure if Ren had hit his head on something or really was suffering from shock, Horo had to stop whatever it was that was happening between them. He had to stop it, even if all he really wanted to do was let things run their course. Bending his knees to gain better traction, he suddenly bucked his hips upwards, able to send Ren tumbling off of him. "Ren, what's the matter with you?" he asked, as the feeling of Ren's lips against his own faded. Ren's lips had remained cold, even though his own had warmed during the contact.

Instead of getting angry or upset, Ren just stood up, slipping the gloves into his pocket. His hat had been lost in the water, but his scarf was still wrapped around his neck, though it was drenched by then. Slipping it off, he wrung it, water cascading down to the ground. "That was fun," he said coolly, looking back at Horo, "We really should do it again. I have some things I need to take care of now, so I'll be going ahead. See you around." And with that, Ren had slipped the scarf back around his neck and had walked off, disappearing through the trees. He left Horo to deal with what had happened, alone and unprepared.

Horohoro had been so shocked by Ren's irrational actions that he could not even call out for him to stop. He had just sat there for what felt like forever. It was only when it got too cold for him did he finally struggle to his feet and walk to the inn. He had been so unlike himself as he walked into the house that neither Yoh nor Ana had said anything to him. They agreed to leave him alone until he decided he wanted to talk. They did not know what had happened, but if it was enough to silence even Horohoro, it could not have been good.

Two days. It took two days before Horo had finally opened up about what happened. He had been embarrassed but mostly, fearful. If he talked about it, it would become real. Even though he had chosen Kororo for his confidant, he spoke mostly at her, just wanting someone to listen to his thoughts.

"I don't understand why I did what I did. I mean, I have been trying to get him to open up to me for a really long time. Ever since the inn, well, I've been hoping that him and I could be closer than just friends, you know Kororo? But when he kissed me after that fall, he just didn't seem like Ren. Would you think I'm crazy if I said that I pulled away mostly because it didn't feel like it was Ren that was kissing me?" He asked weakly, giving her a small smile.

Kororo shook her head insistently. From what he had told her, Ren really had not been acting himself. Something was wrong.

But if something was wrong, Horo could not waste anymore time driving himself crazy. Grabbing a hold of Horohoro's blanket, Kororo pulled it away with a grunt before zipping back to Horo, this time grabbing a hold of his sleeve. She was tugging him towards the door.

Horo watched her in confusion for a moment before realization suddenly washed over his face. Then, he smiled for the first time in what felt like days.

"You're right Kororo! Ren was acting weird! I can't waste time trying to come up with reasons when I can just go and find him!" he declared, hopping out of bed. Sneaking into the hallway, making sure neither Ana nor Yoh were around, he went to use the phone. He called to see if Ren was at home. According to the house staff, their young master had been out since the morning, "visiting a friend". Horo thanked them for their time and hung up.

If Horohoro had any doubt of something strange going on, that doubt instant disappeared. Something was definitely wrong with Ren. Getting dressed quickly, he ran out of the inn before anyone could stop him. He had to find Ren and figure out just what was happening.

Book store. Nothing. Music shop? Nothing there either. He asked around at a few of the outdoor grocers but no one had seen anyone matching Ren's description recently.

He was just leaving a café when across the street he saw someone that looked like Ren walking through the art gallery. Horo was able to catch a glimpse of him disappearing into a backroom through the gallery's large glass walls. He had been wearing a black jacket and scarf, a rather expensive looking outfit Horo had never seen him wear before, but luckily there weren't many people with a hairstyle quite like his. He never figured Ren to be much of an appreciator of art, but if the last few days had taught him anything, it was that strange things were not all that rare.

Thanking the waitress at the café for her time, he ran outside, weaving in-between people to get to the street. If it had not been for all of the cars in the road, he would have even darted through traffic just to get to Ren. As it were, he had to wait what felt like an eternity for the lights to change in his favor before rushing towards the gallery. Even though the gallery was not exactly open for business, Horo found the doors unlocked so he slipped inside of the building. Sometimes instantly felt wrong.

Horo could have just called out for Ren from the entrance, but something about the whole situation stopped him. Staying quiet, he followed the same path Ren had taken towards the back room. The door was ajar. For two seconds he looked inside. By the third, he was running out of the gallery, hands over his mouth. His whole body was trembling. It took every ounce of his will power to keep from becoming sick.

In one second he had seen Ren lying on a couch easily, one arm loosely around the neck of an older man who's face Horo could not see from where he was. Ren's shirt and jacket were strewn about the room. Ren's hair looked disheveled.

In the next, Ren had looked up casually and caught Horo's expression of shock, but he did not look away. Ren did not even look scared. He made no movement to even push away the man, who was by then was starting to kiss down Ren's bare chest. Ren did not shrink away. He smiled right at Horo. Ren's gaze was burrowing into Horo's back even when he turned to run away from the scene.

That could not have been Ren, not the Ren he knew. "Something really was wrong, something had to be wrong," Horo kept repeating to himself. He was wavering between tears and nausea for almost half an hour as he walked aimlessly, not even seeming to notice as he ran into people or stumbled over unevenness in the road.

It was not as if he and Ren were officially dating. For all he knew, Ren had been with that other man the whole time and it was Horo who was the extra. Horo would think those thoughts and instantly hate himself for it. Ren was not that sort of person. He knew Ren. Or at least thought he did. Ren was stubborn and hot headed, but always had a gentle side. Horo liked how Ren would practically beam during the heat of battle, but he absolutely loved him in rare moments when Ren was embarrassed or at a loss for words. The Ren he had fallen for was brilliant, strong, but with a naïve side. The Ren he had seen in that gallery was someone else. It had to be.

Horo was lost in thought as he walked through the city aimlessly. He managed to over come his shock when he realized that he had somehow made his way back to the park bridge. It was that same bridge he had gone with Ren several days ago, back when all of the strange changes in Ren started. The break in the bridge railing was still there, a reminder of what had happened. Horo did not know if it was fate, destiny or his subconscious that brought him to that spot, but he was thankful.

Something was horribly wrong with Ren and whatever it was, it was not something he could fix by his normal method of fighting with it. He would have to take a few notes out of Ren's book and do some investigating first. If he tried to rush ahead and fight a faceless, nameless enemy, Ren, the real Ren, would just call him an idiot. Ren would always, if given the chance, research his opponents to give him the best chance of victory.

Demon, disease or delusion: whatever it was that had changed Ren so radically, Horo would find the answer at the bridge.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

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_** CHAPTER THREE **_

Eventually, Ren had lost track of time. In the cold darkness he was trapped in, time, when it decided to visit, went slowly. Or quickly. Ren could not tell if he had been trapped for hours or years.

He had long ago given up attempting to scream for help. The darkness seemed to absorb every sound. There was nothing but pure darkness and pure silence around him. He could not even hear his own heart beat. He could not even tell if his eyes were open or closed anymore.

If it were not for the fact that he could still form ideas, Ren would have thought that he had died when he fell off that old bridge. The longer he stayed trapped, however, the easier he was beginning to doubt even that little consolation.

For what felt to be the millionth time, Ren thought back to his last moments. He was standing on that bridge. His head was pounding. Suddenly, Horo touched his skin. He was saying something. Ren could not hear him. His touch felt like fire. Ren could see darkness beginning to creep into his field of vision. We was going to pass out from the loud ringing in his ear.

Weightless. He could see the stars. He could see Horo's look of fear. Suddenly, he was somewhere cold. Horo's figure looked like a mirage as it shimmered. Freezing cold arms wrapped around him then. The ringing stopped. The pain stopped. He was so relieved that he thought he would cry. A voice spoke to him and he actually did. Where there had been relief, dread soon settled.

"Let me go out and play in your place," the voice at whispered into Ren's ear. It had been a whisper, but it had boomed so loudly in Ren's ear that it had make his jaw ache. His body went numb and lifeless as he felt the cold arms tearing his spirit away from his body. Pain. Weakness. He could not fight back.

A glimmer of blue hair shown in the dark of the freezing water: Ren's only hope. Horo's hand touched his. Warmth. In the instant Horo pulled Ren's body towards him, something in the darkness of the water pulled Ren's spirit downward, wrapping around him like weeds. It was then that Ren tried to scream out for Horo, only to be greeted with silence.

Black tendrils wrapped around him, dragging him down lower, until all sight of Horo was gone. Ren never saw anything else no matter how much he struggled.

'He'll realize that isn't me,' Ren had insisted to himself. Horohoro of all people would be able to tell right away that something else was inside of Ren's body. Horo would realize his mistake and then come for him. He would rip away the darkness and save Ren. Horo was always going on about how Ren should trust him. Well, Ren was putting all of his trust in Horo now.

Curling up in the infinite darkness, Ren cradled his hand to his chest. Even as the hours crept by slowly and the silence persisted undisturbed, the warmth that remained in his fingers from where Horo had grabbed onto him remained. Ren protected that warmth as if it were a sacred treasure. It gave him the hope to keep waiting.

Hours passed. Days. Months. Years, maybe. Eternity continued. The lingering heat was starting to fade.

'Please come and find me.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

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_** CHAPTER FOUR **_

Ana's frown deepened as she walked into the living room of the inn. Yoh was out running some errands for her so it was just her and Horo in the house. He had been acting odd for the last few days and it had just made Ana angry. She hated seeing perfectly healthy young men depressed, doing nothing. She hated it especially when they could be doing chores. Horohoro had been lazy the last few days and now he was actually reading books in the living room, stacks of old looking books around him.

"Just what is it you think you're doing?" Ana asked, walking towards him, nudging some of the books that were on the ground out of the way so she could better read the titles. "'Local Ghost Stories'? What, you don't get enough ghosts and spirits in your day-to-day life that you have to go looking for them in books now, Horohoro? What is this all about?"

Horo looked up at her, obviously tired. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was sticking out wildly. It did not look like he had gone to bed the previous night. "Ana, can I ask you something? You know a lot about things like possessions, right? Well, how do you know if someone is possessed?" he asked, voice soft.

"Well, normally if they're able to turn their heads completely around and spit out pea soup, they're probably possessed," she said, sitting down , grabbing a cracker from the bowl of snacks on the table. Horo visibly winced at her attempt at a joke and she shrugged. "In all seriousness, it depends on the spirit possessing and the person being possessed. Most of the time, a spirit will possess someone for fun. These cases are easy to take care of. A few charms and incantations and you should be able to get rid of the spirit in no time at all. There are some cases though when a spirit will possess someone for a specific purpose. These are the possessions that the hardest to get rid of. That being said, if you're looking into getting yourself possessed, the least you can do is get possessed by a spirit that isn't as lazy as you are. You haven't done any chores in days. If Yoh hadn't asked me to go a little easy on you, believe me, I would have had you doing exercises until your legs gave out from under you."

Horo just shook his head weakly. "It has nothing to do with me being possessed. But there is someone I know that I think that might be possessed. I know that I have been… skipping out a lot on my chores, but I need to do this first. Please, Ana, I really need your help. How do I know what kind of possession it is? What do I do if it's just a joy riding spirit? What…do I do if it isn't?"

Ana practically scowled as she looked over at him. She should have told him to stop being a child and do some research on his own, but when she saw the desperation in his face, she stopped herself. Whoever it was that was in trouble, Horo cared about them a great deal. For better or worse, Ana saw Horo was one of her friends and as such knew that when it came to things like research, he was useless. "Fine, I'll help you, but only because if left to your own devices you'll never be able to save who ever it is you think is possessed. But in return, I don't ever want you to complain about any chore I give you, no matter what it is, got it?"

Horohoro agreed to her terms without hesitation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

* * *

_** CHAPTER FIVE **_

Looking through his binoculars, Horo caught sight of Ren walking into the same gallery, around the same time as the day before. From his spot across the busy street at the café, he could see everything that was going on in the glass building.

He hated sneaking around like that, having to resort to spying on Ren from a distance, but he had to be sure. Ren had been avoiding all of his calls, all while enjoying his time around the city. In the day since Horo started tailing him, Ren had gone shopping, enjoyed the finest restaurants and went into all of the most exclusive clubs. Never before had Ren so grossly flaunted his wealth and family name.

It had been a few days since the incident at the bridge and Horohoro hardly recognized Ren now. He would leave his family's home dressed as he always had but then he would go shopping and along the way dress himself in the finest clothes he could, almost as if he wanted everyone who passed him to know just who he was. On that particular day, he was wearing a black coat with matching feather accents. He even started to style his hair differently, the familiar point gone. He was smiling more now, but his smile never reached his eyes. His eyes were empty.

The Ren he knew was hidden away and the person who was impersonating him was just the other-Ren.

As soon as he was sure 'Ren' had disappeared into the backroom, willing himself not to think about what was surely going on in the gallery, Horo slipped out of the café and quickly made his way over to the gallery building. Slipping the paper charms Ana had given him out of his pocket, he attached them to the door frame. Reading Ana's instructions carefully, he recited the incantation. When he was sure he had followed the directions as well as he could, he returned to his spot and waited for 'Ren' to return.

Time passed incredibly slowly for Horo, no matter what he did. He did not want to think what the long wait meant.

When he saw 'Ren' approaching the entrance to the museum almost an hour later, fully dressed and looking as if nothing had happened, Horo sat up straight and pulled out his binoculars. They would be indispensable in the next few moments.

The driver opened the door of the gallery for him to exit just as he had done when they first arrived. As soon as 'Ren' stepped out of the door, it was as if he had stepped through a barrier of chains, the paper charms on the door frame fizzling into smoke. For a moment, the charms had forced a separation between the spirit and the body. Ren suddenly collapsed and was caught by his servant. A large red smoky form hung over Ren's body, unseen by everyone except for Horo before quickly moving back in to retake Ren's unconscious body. Standing back up, 'Ren' ignored his driver's concerns as he looked around, a look of rage on his face. It was not the angry look Ren often had. It was not even a look that Horo had ever seen on any human.

It was an expression of pure hatred.

Horo hid from sight until 'Ren' finally left in his car. Slowly calming down, he tried to make sense of what had happened, pulling out the notes Ana made him take. What he had witnessed just then did not fit into anything she told him to watch.

"Can you please run that last part through me again?" Horo asked, quickly scribbling things down on the piece of paper in front of him. "After I've set the charms and did all of the casting, what is it I have to keep an eye out for?"

Ana just sighed, obviously trying her best to be helpful, having to do so through gritted teeth. "I'll say this one more time as slowly as I can for your benefit. When this friend of yours steps through the doorway you have the charms on, they'll activate if there is a foreign spirit riding along in the body. The charms aren't very strong, so the spiritual chains will only be able to keep the possessing spirit away for a moment or two. If the spirit is, as most of them are, neutral, then the wisp you see will be white or blue. Assuming you're lucky enough to be dealing with this kind of spirit, once they're forced out of the body, they might just get bored and leave. Problem solved, in that case. Otherwise, the spirit will be yellow or red.

"Yellow spirits are those that have unfinished business. With these kinds of spirits you can force them out of the body, but I don't recommend it. It is much easier to just help them accomplish their unfinished business and set them on their way instead of just making them someone else's problem. It's mostly just getting messages to loved ones left behind.

"Now, if the spirit is red, that's where the trouble comes in. These spirits are wholly governed by a single emotion, probably the last one they felt while they were alive. It's almost always anger or hatred if they were unable to move on. There is no reasoning with these spirits. They won't stop until they have revenge. Unfortunately, this normally ends up with someone dead. In the unlikely event that you're dealing with a red spirit, you'll have to force them out of the body and find a way to banish them."

Horo nodded as he drew himself a chart to help him remember all of the helpful advice Ana was giving him in the moment of truth. Suddenly he stopped and looked at her. "I just realized: if the spirit possessing them will be temporarily separated, what will happen to the person they were possessing?"

Ana smiled weakly as she sipped at her juice. "That's easy. For the most part, people just look disoriented before the spirit possess them again. If they were scared right before they were possessed, sometimes they scream. But that is pretty rare since most spirits don't make much warning that they'll be possessing you. Don't worry about them, though. The process isn't painful for the host or anything, so chances are your friend, if he's being possessed, will just looked confused."

Horo felt uneasy as he read over his notes. Ren had not been confused or disoriented when the spirit possessing him had been pulled away. His eyes had rolled back and he had collapsed instantly. It was almost as if there was nothing inside of him except for the spirit that was taking control.

But that just begged an even deeper problem: If Ren was being possessed, but the spirit possessing him was the only one in his body, where exactly was Ren's spirit?

Almost as soon as he thought that, the answer flashed before his mind. The Bridge! This whole nightmare had started that night. If Ren's spirit really was not in his body, the only other place it could be was at the bridge. Gathering his things, he rushed out towards the park.

Five days, he kept thinking to himself. It had been five days since that night. If he was right, Ren's spirit had been alone for five days. He could hardly believe it had taken him so long to realize what was happening right before his eyes! He would get Ren back and would banish that spirit before it could do anything else to Ren's body. Horo would protect Ren, even if he did not quite yet know from what. There was no more time left to be cautious. A spirit without a body did not last long, Horo knew that. He just hoped it was not already too late.

He arrived at the park out of breath. "Ren!" he screamed out as he looked around for some sign of him. He did not know for what it was he was looking. He normally could see spirits, so if he were unable to see Ren's, it could mean something was hiding it. In that case, it could be anything.

Horohoro had been so busy looking for some sort of sign of Ren's spirit that he did not even notice when Ren's body walked up behind him. When he felt slender arms wrap around his chest, he practically jumped out of his skin. "R… Ren," he muttered out, trying not to reveal too much to the spirit possessing Ren. "What…are you doing here?"

The spirit just chuckled, pressing cold lips against the back of Horo's neck, leaving light kisses. Horo shuddered. "I've been thinking about you, Horohoro," 'Ren' said. "I'm sorry you had to walk in on me like that the other day," he practically cooed, running one hand down Horo's chest, down to his hip, moving even lower. "I would say that it wasn't what it looked like, but we both know that would just be a lie. If it makes you feel any better, though, it didn't go any farther than what you saw. I couldn't stop thinking about you, you know. If you just hadn't pushed me away that night, I wouldn't have had to go find some new company. I had wanted you, but apparently I was the only one. "

Horo suddenly spun around as he grabbed a hold of Ren's wrists, holding them above the spirit's head. He looked at 'Ren' and tried to think of what to do. He knew the person in front of him was not really Ren, even if that was his body. It was just an imposter taking advantage of the person he loved. " Don't say that…"

The spirit just giggled lightly. "Well does this mean that you've had a change of heart? We can do lots of things now," he purred, moving his knee between Horo's legs, rubbing him suggestively.

"No, " Horo said again, giving him a smile, "I meant don't' say that…with my Ren's voice!" he cried out, suddenly punching the imposter square across the jaw. If it had been the real Ren, he would not have so much as grunted. The spirit, however, was not used to things getting physical in such a violent way. With a loud screech, 'Ren' clutched onto the side of his face as he practically rolled around on the ground, sobbing and screaming out any profanity he could muster. "I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't care!" Horo shouted, "I don't even care if you think you're justified in what you've done! You made a huge mistake in possessing the person I like. For that, I'm going to really make you pay."

With a weaving sob, 'Ren' struggled to his feet, looking at Horohoro with an expression of pure hate. "So you were the one who set up those accursed little charms," he spat out. "I should have known. You've been following me for a while," he snarled, electricity arcing along his hands. "Your precious little Ren is probably already eaten up by now. But don't worry… you'll be joining him soon. No one is going to get in my way. I'm not going to stop until that bastard is dead and buried!"

Horo just got into a fighting stance, raising his fists, as he watched 'Ren'. It would be difficult to try and subdue the spirit without causing too much damage to Ren's body. Even if it really was not Ren in there, Horo could not bring himself to hurt the person he had grown to love.

"Anyone who tries to stop me is defending that man! I will kill you vermin all in one go!" 'Ren' screeched out as he charged at Horo.

Horo tried to ready himself. He was stronger than the spirit, but the spirit had the biggest advantage: it was using Ren as a shield.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

* * *

_** CHAPTER SIX **_

Horo never wished to have a tactician's mind as much as he did in that fight. Each time 'Ren' charged at him, all he could think to do was evade him and deliver a half-hearted punch or kick. He knew that if he could just knock 'Ren' unconscious, he could have some time to look for the real Ren. He knew that was true, but when the moment came to deliver the blow, he pulled his punch without thinking.

If he had been someone like Yoh, he was sure he could have found a weak point already and taken advantage of it. But he was not Yoh, and for that reason, he was loosing a battle he should have won with his eyes closed. The spirit, despite his rage, was no where near as strong as the real Ren was, even without the aid of any ghosts.

As he moved backwards the more he was rushed at by an increasingly angry 'Ren', Horo figured the only thing he could do was tire the spirit. Even if the spirit could go on forever from hatred alone, Ren's body could not. Eventually he would slow from that limitation alone. Horo would just have to be patient.

After several minutes, 'Ren' suddenly moved away from Horo, panting lightly as he shoved a hand in his jacket pocket. "Don't think I…don't know what…it is you're up to. Bastard. You all think you can…just lead me along? You all think I'm blind? Huh?" he chuckled darkly as he pulled out a switch blade from his pocket, opening it in one swift motion.

Horo's eyes widened. Hand-to-hand he was sure he could take on 'Ren', but against a knife, one of them could get seriously hurt. Fighting, however, did not seem to be what the spirit was planning. Stepping backwards towards the railing, he brought up the blade and pressed it threateningly against his own neck. It had apparently dawned on the imposter the extent to which Horo valued Ren. As long as he was in Ren's body, Horo would be powerless against him.

"Listen, I want you to stay the hell away from me, understand?" 'Ren' screamed out. "I won't rest until that man is dead. When I'm done, you can have this body back. I don't care what happens after he's dead. But if you ever try to stop me, I won't hesitate to slice through your precious Ren's throat, got that?"

Horo was silent for several long moments, tears welling in his eyes, threatening to spill out. He did not want the spirit to kill Ren, knowing full well that the spirit had nothing left to loose at that point. But he also knew that if he allowed the spirit to do what he wanted, Ren's body would continue to be used by people he would never meet and, ultimately, he would play a part in murder. He could not allow that to happen.

Before he had a chance to say anything, however, their stand-off was interrupted by the arrival of someone else.

"Ren, what's going on?" came a voice from the other side of the bridge. When Horo looked over towards the man who had spoken, he was surprised to see that it was the man from the art gallery. "Ren, I got your message to meet you here, but isn't it a little late? What…is going on?" The man eventually asked, looking from Ren to Horo, realizing that something was amiss.

'Ren' looked over at the man and smiled. The hatred in his eyes, however, only grew more intense. "Well, well, well, isn't it fitting that you of all people should stumble upon this little opera. Don't you think so, Yamada-sempai," the spirit spat out the name, contempt dripping in his words.

Horo watched the scene unfold, thankful that the spirit had at least moved the knife away from his neck. He did not have long to enjoy the moment for he realized that 'Ren' had only moved the knife away from his own throat so he could instead point it at the other man. He had been sure that he had heard 'Ren' call the other man sempai. Did that mean that the person the spirit hated was the man he had been seducing using Ren's body? Horo tried to make sense of the situation and quickly.

As Ren approached him, the man looked frightening, taking a step back. "What…did you call me? I never told you that my real name was Yamada. Who are you really?"

'Ren' began to howl with laughter now, his whole body trembling as he took a few swipes at the man, intentionally just getting the air a few inches in front of him. 'Ren' wanted to scare him. He was relishing in the look of horror on Yamada's face. "Sempai. Yamada-sempai. You used to make me call you that all the time back then, didn't you? But that was so long ago. You aren't anyone's sempai anymore are you? No… now you're Yamada-sensei. So much respect you've earned for yourself! Renowned artist, gallery owner, is there anything you cannot do? So much fame and adoration. And what was the price you paid for that, Yamada-sempai? Oh, just the life of one little assistant who looked up to you like a fool!" With a scream, 'Ren' lunged at the man, managing to give him a cut on the arm as the man scrambled away. Licking the blood from the blade, Ren walked towards the man more boldly now.

Seeing the blood, Horo had moved to run towards them, but suddenly found himself stuck. As soon as he had tried to move, the bridge underneath his feet had began to give way, almost as if it had begun to liquefy. His feet had sunk down into the stone and wood that made up the bridge, up to his knees, within a moment. To his shock, the bridge had then re-formed around his legs, keeping him firmly in place. All around him, there was the smell of old blood. It was noxious. "Hey, you! Get out of here! I don't know what your connection is, but you're in danger!" he tried screaming out, trying to get the man to run, but it was too late. 'Ren' had his prey in sight and was not about to let him go willingly.

"K…Kaoru?" the man, Yamada, gasped out, horror washing over his face.

When he was named, the spirit actually flinched. Slowly, he began to cackle. "Kaoru…no one's called me that in a very long time. Its just a shame that the one who said it after such a long time is someone as filthy as you, Yamada-sempai."

Circling around Yamada like a hungry wolf, Kaoru licks his lips. "You have a lot of nerves coming here every single week, don't you? Don't think I haven't been watching you all the while from down in the water. You always come here and look out on the lake is that stupid, mournful expression on your face. People always pass by you and look at you with pity. They don't know what kind of monster you really are! I loved you, I gave you everything, but you couldn't even be honest with me!" Kaoru screamed out, tears falling down his cheeks in rage. "Why do you keep coming back? Could it be that you feel guilty for letting me die alone? Or maybe for throwing my body into the lake I used to love? Or is it you come here out of fear? Maybe you're scared some day someone will find me and then you'll be found out? Well, here is some good news for you: no one will ever find my body. The bad news, however, is that no one will find yours either!"

Horo screamed out for Yamada to get out of the way.

It was over in an instant. Kaoru's trembling body was pressed up against Yamada's, the blade completely plunged into the older man's chest. There was a look of shock on Yamada's face for a moment before it was replaced by one of understanding. Instead of pulling away, he wrapped his arms around Kaoru and held him close. He seemed to say something, blood sputtering out of his mouth. Kaoru's trembling stopped then. He rested his head against Yamada's chest. It almost seemed as if they were in an embrace.

As the bridge around Horo's feet began to crumble away, he ran towards the pair. He was not fast enough. Yamada and Kaoru tumbled over the side of the bridge right where Ren had five days ago.

For a second time that week, Horo jumped into the water. He plunged into the deep darkness of the lake, hands out stretched for Ren.

As he swam down lower, in the day light he could make out pitch black vines tangling around Yamada's dead body and pull him down deeper, leaving behind wisps of dark blood to stain the waters. Only Ren's body was left untouched, floating in the water completely still. Peaceful. Almost as if he were just sleeping. Only when Horo touched his hand did Ren's eyes open.

It was the same face he had been seeing all week, but the eyes were different. They were alive. They were the real Ren's. Wrapping an arm around Ren's waist, Horo's heart leaped for joy when he felt arms wrap around his neck, holding onto him tightly. Swimming towards the land as fast as he could, he pulled Ren out of the water. Ren looked up at him, eyes large. He tried several times to speak, only partially formed words spilling out incoherently, before his face crumpled as he began to silently cry, not even bothering to hide his face from Horohoro.

Wrapping his arms around Ren , he pulled him in tightly, smoothing his wet hair. The adrenaline of the last few minutes was keeping his teeth from chattering as he spoke softly near Ren's ear. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." He repeated those words again and again until he dissolved into sobs to match Ren's.

They sat there holding each other as they cried. When their tears ended, they sat there holding each other in silence.

For them, five days had been an eternity.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I did write the story myself, so the blame falls solely on my shoulders!

* * *

_** CHAPTER SEVEN **_

After the incident, Ren had stayed at the inn with Ana, Yoh and Horohoro for a few days to recover. He had not wanted to go home and face what Kaoru might have done when in possession of his body. Most of all, he had not wanted to leave Horo. In the darkness, the only thing that had been keeping him sane was the hope that Horohoro would rescue him. When he was feverish, he had blurted that out and even though he had felt instantly embarrassed, Ana had told him that as embarrassing as it was, it was that single hope that had kept his soul from being warped as Kaoru's had been.

The plants that Horo and Ren had seen were called Hell Vines, Ana had told them, showing them several books that had long, detailed accounts about the plants and how to deal with them. They were plants that fed off of the spirits of humans, often times keeping human bodies that were discarded as cages for the soul until the plants could feed on it. Kaoru's decision to exchange spots with Ren had been a risky move, but potentially his last chance to enact his revenge: in a week, the old park was set to be torn down. The lake would be drained and the Hell Vines would die. With them gone, all of the bodies hidden there will be found and given a proper burial. If Kaoru's bones had been cremated before he had a chance to get his revenge, he would have been banished from the mortal world unfulfilled.

Even though Horo knew he should be happy that the souls of countless people would be able to soon be put to rest, he did not know how to feel for either Kaoru or Yamada, the image of their last embrace having been seared into his mind. They held each other so tenderly. Yamada had been with Kaoru, perhaps, but it had been Ren's body that he had been holding. It was Ren's body that had been drenched with his blood. Even when he had pulled Ren out of the water, his clothes had been soaked with Yamada's blood.

To Horohoro, everything that had happened the last week seemed absolutely pointless. He could not understand why Kaoru had been driven to take the life of someone he had once cared so much about. How could two people that might have loved each other once been driven to commit such unspeakable acts towards one another? It left a bad taste in his mouth.

Walking into the room they had given Ren to recover in, Horo smiled. "Hey there Ren… I hope you've been resting well. Doctor's orders, remember? And look, I've got soup! It's a family recipe, so you'll be up and being your normal haughty self in no time at all!" he said, sitting beside Ren's futon. The dark haired teen just looked over at him with a casual huff. There were stacks of old newspapers around the bed.

"Thank you. Hopefully it's a little better than the last family recipe you brought for me. That one was so bitter I thought I was going to die," he said, unable to stop himself from slightly smile as he went back to reading the paper. Horo just snickered, knowing Ren was teasing.

"So, found anything? You've been reading those old papers for a long time now. I don't get why you're so interest in learning about that Kaoru guy or Yamada. They're gone now. After what they put you through, put us through, I would think you'd be happy they're gone."

Ren just sighed as he shook his head. "For what its worth, I think I've started to get a better understanding of what happened. And I know you want me to just put this all behind me, but I can't. I need to understand what could possess someone do something like that… murder, hatred, revenge. I always used to think those were things that only evil people could do, but from the picture I'm getting from all these accounts, even people who are in love can do evil to one another," he said, shoving some newspapers into Horo's hands, pointing to several articles.

"Kaoru had gone missing years ago. He'd been very sick at the time and his family had tried to keep him at the hospital, but he'd run away. It was always assumed… he had run off to be with a girl friend or something, someone he had met at the art school he had been attending before he became sick. But… it's obvious that he's run off to be with Yamada. I mean, they went to the same art school and look, they were even in the same clubs together. Whatever happened, Kaoru seems to think that Yamada was the reason he died. He hated Yamada enough to take my body and use me…to kill him. But even then, Yamada held him. He died holding the person who accused him of murder. I need to understand what could drive them to this. I need to. I don't care if you don't get it, Horohoro," he said, his voice slightly wavering before he could clear his throat.

Horo set the newspapers away after a moment as he wrapped his arms around Ren and pulled him close. Initially, Ren struggled, but slowly settled against Horo, taking comfort in his warmth. "I think I do get it, Ren. This whole obsession you have with those two has absolutely nothing to actually do with those two at all, does it? At least, not in their story specifically. You're researching Yamada and Kaoru but it's really your own life you're interested in learning about. I know that's true because I've been thinking about those two as well. Maybe even for the same reasons." Ren buried his face against Horo's chest, clenching his jaw. He made no effort to argue, for once.

"Whenever I tell you how much I like you, you shrink away. It's obvious you don't know how to react to me. And this whole thing, it's got you scared. I know what you're thinking because I've been thinking about the same thing. At some point, Kaoru and Yamada probably held each other like this and thought that they really loved each other. But something changed and now they're both dead at each other's hands. I want to know what happened that caused their love to turn to hatred just as much as you do, but they're gone. Not just in body, either. The way they held each other, its obvious neither of them have any more regrets to keep them grounded to this world. They're both gone and short of summoning their spirits from the afterlife, we won't ever know where it was their relationship broke down. What could drive lovers to hate each other? To kill each other? How can I make sure that I don't fall into the same trap? I don't think those are questions that Kaoru or Yamada have answers to.

"I don't know what happened between those two, Ren. Chances are good that we will never know the whole truth behind what they did, all of the secrets between them. All we can know for sure is ourselves. Even someone like me who's been the one chasing you the whole time, even I didn't realize just how much it was you meant to me until I realized I had failed to protect you. I can't promise what the future holds for us, but I can tell you that right now that no matter what happens, I will always be honest with you, Ren. My grandmother used to say that without secrets to cast shadows, hatred and distrust can never grow. I believe that, Ren. While my whole heart I believe that," he said, pulling away slightly to cup his cheek. "And to be honest with you right now, I want you to know that I trust you, Ren. I trust that you will never be like either of those two. You won't ever hurt me."

Ren was quiet as he just slipped his arms around Horo. They were alone, free from all prying eyes, so he allowed himself a moment of weakness. "You're such an idiot. You say all of these really embarrassing things without any consideration for how difficult you're making it for me to follow your bold declarations. I'm not good at big confessions. But, I can say this: I know that I trust you, too."

Horo chuckled a bit, placing a kiss on his forehead cause Ren to groan in embarrassment. "Does that mean you would go so far as to say you love me?" he asked hopefully, leaning in close to kiss Ren's lips. Ren put a hand out and blocked the kiss.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he muttered as he watched as Horo pouted. Slowly, he cracked a smile. "I wouldn't say that I love you , but you certainly are starting to grow on me," he muttered as he moved his hand away, leaning in to press his lips against Horo's.

It was not quite the heartfelt confession that Horo had seen play out on all of the soap operas on television, but it was good enough for him. He had already gone through so much just to hear Ren say that he trusted him. Horo just had to learn to have patient.

After all: good things come to those who wait.

-**END**

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**Author's Note:** So this is the final chapter. I hope that you've enjoyed this little romp through Shaman King non-canon! Ideally, I would like to do one more story to end this "arc". If "The Mountain Inn" was them learning about their feelings and this one was them finally becoming something like a couple, I would like to do one more about them as an actual couple. Eventually. Anyway, again, I hoped you enjoyed the story. If you have some extra time, let me know what you thought!


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